1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rod rolling mills where the hot rolled rod is formed into a continuous series of rings, and the rings are deposited in an overlapping pattern on a conveyor on which they are subjected to controlled cooling and/or heating. The invention is concerned in particular with an improvement in the reforming chambers employed at the delivery ends of the cooling conveyors to receive and gather the rings into coils.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional reforming chamber, the rings descend in a helical formation into a cylindrical enclosure. The rings alight on an elevator platform where they accumulate in coil form, usually around a central mandrel element. The platform is gradually lowered to compensate for the growing height of the coil.
The reforming chamber also typically includes a shear mechanism for subdividing billet lengths of rod into multiple coils, with associated intercepting devices for temporarily interrupting the descent of rings while an underlying coil is separated and cleared from the reforming chamber.
As the rings descend into the reforming chamber, care must be taken to see that they are properly and evenly distributed. Otherwise, the density, shape, and stability of the coil will be adversely affected. Experience has indicated that minimizing the height of ring free fall is critical to insuring controlled ring distribution.
In the past, the shear mechanisms have limited the extent to which the vertically adjustable elevator platforms can be elevated, with the result that ring free fall distance has been excessive, particularly in the early stages of each coil forming cycle.
The objective of the present invention is to achieve a marked decrease in the ring free fall distance, thereby making it possible to achieve significant improvements in coil density, shape and stability.